


Don't Need Wings

by LauraRoslin



Category: Major Crimes (TV), The Closer
Genre: Baby!Fic, F/M, Mentions of Jackson/Sharon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:43:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5255759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauraRoslin/pseuds/LauraRoslin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this prompt: "This shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't be pregnant" from Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 5 Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt I received on Tumblr. Let's just say the ideas came into abundance and it earned a place as a full fic instead of a oneshot. Sorry, not sorry. Right now, it's rated G, but that may change in the future. Each chapter will be a turning point in her pregnancy.
> 
> Title is also taken from the song, "Miracles Happen" by Myra. I found it a fitting song for this fic.

Her vision was swimming before she had even opened her eyes, like someone had removed her head and tossed it around. A low groan escaped her lips as she rolled over in bed, her stomach flipping unpleasantly. She brushed her hands across her stomach and let out a slow breath before she fumbled for her glasses and her phone. The too-bright screen revealed two missed calls from Pope, one from Lieutenant Flynn, and one from Chief Johnson herself. None of them had left voicemails, but Pope’s second call had barely been ten minutes before she woke up.

She swallowed and reluctantly called Pope back, her eyes sliding closed as she waited for him to answer. The line kept ringing and she hoped he wouldn’t answer; after a few more rings, she heard the call connect.

“About time, Captain,” he muttered and Sharon leaned her head back against the headboard, swallowing hard. 

“What is it?” she managed to force out, swallowing again as her stomach gave an unappreciative twist. 

“Major Crimes caught a case earlier this morning and I need you with them. The team’s on their way back, so meet in Chief Johnson’s office in an hour,” he ordered and Sharon struggled to withhold a groan.

“Yes, sir,” she sighed instead.

“Good, and answer your phone next time.” Pope ended the call and she tossed her phone to the foot of the bed, her legs slowly curling up toward her.

It took her longer than Assistant Chief Pope liked for her to get to the precinct and his expression made sure she knew it. If Sharon’s hair was a little flatter and her makeup a little duller, no one said a thing. She supposed the grimace she held to keep the nausea down was a deterrent for conversation. When she arrived, she ignored the rushing Major Crimes team in favor of stepping into Chief Johnson’s office.

“What can I help you with, Cap’n?” the blonde sighed as Sharon shut the door behind her and leaned against it for the briefest of moments. 

“Pope called me down here. Wants to make sure you don’t break any rules,” Sharon answered, pausing briefly to make sure each word came out exactly as she intended it to. Her nausea hadn’t lessened since she got out of bed and something in the Chief’s office was making it worse.

“”course he did,” she muttered, her nose wrinkling as she folded her glasses and set them on her desk. “Look, I don’t have time to update you now. Talk to… Talk to Flynn, have him bring ya up to speed.” She stood up and looked Sharon over, her brow furrowing. “He’ll find ya’ll an empty office.” Sharon nodded her head and opened the door before she stepped aside, Chief Johnson leading the way out. “Lieutenant Flynn? Escort Cap’n Raydor to the break room and give her everythin’ she needs, please.”

Flynn didn’t bother to hide his dislike for the task and slipped the toothpick from his mouth to toss it in the trash. “Sure, Chief,” he grumbled and Sharon managed to arch an eyebrow. “This way.” He gathered a stack of files off the desk as he walked by without another glance at the IA Captain. 

He didn’t bother to wait for Sharon to catch up, taking long strides down the halls until he found an empty office. She strode after him, measuring out each step to make sure she stayed upright. Her vision was swimming slightly and she was eager to sit down again. As soon as she shut the office door behind herself, she sank into the closest chair and felt her shoulders sag a little. 

“Where were the bodies found?” she asked, determined to push through this and solve the case. Maybe a day or two of vacation would do her good, but she needed to make it through today first. 

“You don’t look well,” Flynn commented instead and Sharon huffed out a weak laugh. “In fact, you look ready to pass out.” There was no subtly to the concern in his voice. 

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting briefly. She forced a small smile and he glanced at the door before he knelt in front of her and took her hand. She curled her fingers around his and her head fell forward to press their foreheads together, a long breath escaping her.

“Are you ill?”

Sharon licked her lips and shook her head slightly. “I’ve just been… nauseated and dizzy the past few days. Nothing too terrible… I’ll get over it soon.” She barely got the words out before her she felt her stomach clench and her eyes slipped closed. Her hand reached out for Andy’s shoulder with a mumbled “oh god,” and he quickly grabbed the small trashcan to hold up for her.

His hand started rubbing her back as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the trashcan, a shudder running through her body. He kept hold of her until the sickness passed and he set the trashcan aside with a sigh.

“You should go home,” he murmured and Sharon groaned softly in response. “Or at least see a doctor, please.”

“Doctor’s just gonna confirm…” She paused and wiped at her mouth with a grimace, her voice a little softer. “Going to confirm what I already know.” Her lips quirked up for the briefest of moments in a bitter smile. “I’ve only gone through this twice before.”

Andy looked up at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. Sharon’s eyes remained closed and she felt his hand move up to rest on her forearm. “I’d ask if you were joking,” he finally murmured and she blinked her eyes open to see the realization crossing his face, “but after seeing that, you’re clearly not joking. Are you sure?”

She scanned his face for a moment before she leaned back to slide her glasses off her face. She slid them into her blazer pocket and shook her head slightly. “I’m as sure as a mother can be. Haven’t taken a test yet.”

He met her gaze and glanced at the door again before he gently cupped her cheek. “Oh, Sharon…” She pinched the bridge of her nose and rested her hand over Andy’s, loosely tangling their fingers together. “Is this normal, then?”

“Every… each one is different, Andy,” she sighed, unable to say the word itself. Not yet. “With Emily… I was sick for the first few months. Ricky, I barely felt ill at all.” She swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the aftertaste in her mouth.

“I wish you would see a doctor.” His thumb traced under her eye and then down her cheekbone. “I swear it looks like you’ll pass out if you stand up.”

“I feel like I will,” she admitted. The concern on Andy’s face was overwhelming and she wanted to kiss him softly. The taste in her mouth reminded her that wasn’t a good idea. 

“Let’s get you some water to clean your mouth out and get you home. And you’re not arguing, because I’m not going to see you carted off in an ambulance because you passed out.” His gaze hardened briefly before he pressed their lips together lightly.

“Andy…” She sighed and rubbed at her eyes. “Fine,” she relented. “Only because I don’t want to throw up in front of the rest of your damn team.”

Andy chuckled softly and patted her arm gently. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

She sank back into her chair and watched as he straightened up and adjusted his suit and tie. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he slipped from the office and shut the door behind him. In his absence, Sharon eyed the case files and decided she didn’t want to attempt to read anything. The thought made her head ache. 

She allowed herself to zone out, her hands finding their way to her stomach. She swallowed and jerked up when she heard the door open, using her remaining energy to allow a mask to slide over her face. When she realized it was Andy again, it faded immediately.

“A few raised eyebrows, but you’re in the clear,” he explained as he offered her the bottle of water he found. She thought about asking what story he had weaved, but decided she didn’t want to know. “Can you make it to the parking garage, because I really don’t want you driving.”

“And you don’t want us to be seen leaving together,” she added. She agreed with it and didn’t argue as she uncapped the bottle and took a few careful sips. “Must be your genes causing it this time.”

She gripped the edge of the desk as she stood, surprised when she remained on her feet. She glanced at Andy and he moved to wrap his arm around her waist but thought better of it and stood by the door. 

“If I remember correctly, it was my jeans coming off that caused this,” he murmured and Sharon felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “Sorry…”

She managed a weak eye roll and let out a shaky breath, her hands gripping the case files. “You’re not wrong. Let’s go while I’m on my feet.”

Andy yanked the door open and she made her way outside, taking the time to school her expression into something other than what she felt. She started down the hallway and clung to the files as if they could provide her support. She turned as Andy continued toward his desk, focused on the elevator ahead of her. 

She miraculously made her way down to Andy’s car, relieved he had left his doors unlocked. She settled in the passenger seat and closed her eyes as she leaned the seat back, focused only on her breathing.Andy made his way down to the car ten minutes later and started it without another word--though the concern in his expression said everything.

“I made an appointment with my doctor,” she mumbled as she felt the car start to move. “She has an opening in half an hour; do you mind dropping me off there?”

Andy shook her head and glanced at her, relieved she had contacted her doctor. “Not a problem,” he answered softly. “Do you... Can I stay?”

She arched an eyebrow slightly and her head rolled to face him. “How else am I getting home, Lieutenant?” She didn’t want to admit that if she was right, she would want him there anyway.

“Oh, right.” He cleared his throat and focused on driving, his head shaking slightly. “Where am I going?”

Sharon fumbled with her phone until she could get the directions to read aloud and let her head settle against the cool glass of the window. Since she had thrown up, her nausea had calmed down considerably. She still felt shaky and kept her attention on finishing the bottle of water as Andy drove.

It took 45 minutes for Sharon to have the confirmation in front of her. In her hands, staring her in the face, was the proof she was pregnant. Andy sat beside her in a stunned silence, his fingers tightly gripping the test results. 

“This shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't be pregnant,” she whispered, stumbling over the word she hadn’t used in almost two decades. 

“We weren’t... exactly careful,” he sighed in response, his tone sounding almost sheepish. 

Sharon shook her head slightly and dropped her half of the paper to press a hand against her stomach. “No, you don’t understand...” She swallowed and shook her head again. “I was... I can’t...” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm her nerves. “After I had Ricky, I was told I couldn’t get pregnant again. It just wasn’t possible. That and I’m not exactly in my childbearing years...”

There was a knock at the door and then Sharon’s doctor entered, offering them both a slight smile. “Congratulations, Sharon,” she hummed, her head tilting briefly. “It looks like you’ve found yourself a miracle baby.”

“Lucy, you told me...” Sharon let out a weak laugh, her eyes meeting her doctor’s. 

“So I did. Trust me, I remember Ricky’s delivery and the chances this happened... You have a miracle baby, I’m telling you. Now, this isn’t going to be easy on your body, but it’s doable. Don’t be surprised if you end up on bedrest toward the end.” Lucy smiled a little and reached over to pat Sharon’s hand. “We’ve made it through two of these, what’s one more?”

“Just because you had half a dozen kids,” she muttered, her eyes flicking over to Andy who hadn’t said another word. 

“He looks like it’s his first,” Lucy hummed, her eyebrows arching up toward her silvery hair. 

“Third, actually. He might have two step-grandchildren soon too.” Sharon reached over and lightly closed her hand over Andy’s, finally stirring him out of wherever he had been.

“You’re pregnant.” He didn’t say anything for another moment and both women stared at him. “But all this...” He waved his other hand around before it dropped to his knee again. “The throwing up and dizziness, is that normal?”

Lucy shook her head a little and shot Sharon a warning glance. “Some of it, yes. Most of it is from dehydration, which she could prevent if she took better care of herself.” The doctor’s tone was mildly scolding and Sharon kept her gaze on Andy. “I’d like to get some fluids in you here, but I’d compromise to you going home and resting for a few days. Can we agree to that?”

“Yes, of course.” Sharon nodded slightly and took a deep breath. “I think I’ll take a few days off...”

“Good. I want to see you in two weeks, then, unless anything worsens.” Lucy looked between them and smiled, reaching to pat Sharon’s hand again. “Other than that, you’re both good to go. Take care of her, Andy.”

Sharon offered her doctor a smile in return and carefully pushed herself to her feet, Andy immediately rising to help balance her. She wrinkled her nose but reached for his hand, their fingers loosely tangling together. 

“Thank you, Lucy.” 

She followed Andy from the room, pausing only to confirm her next appointment before they returned to his car and he started toward her condo. He didn’t seem inclined to talk and Sharon remained silent herself, allowing the news to process through her mind over and over. 

Pregnant. How the hell could she be pregnant? 

He finally spoke again when they walked into her condo and she finally stepped out of her heels. He looked around--lost--for a moment before he turned to her and she sighed.

“Sharon?”

She smiled slightly and eased out of her jacket, ready to sit down and wish her nausea away. “Yes, Andy?”

“You’re pregnant.”

He continued staring at her and she finally approached him, her arms wrapping around his middle. Without her shoes, she fell several inches short of him and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. His arms wound around her too, gently holding her to him as he met her gaze. 

“I am,” she whispered, her brow furrowing. “Somehow... We’re having a baby, Andy.” She stopped and let out a breath. “God, we need to talk about this. She let her head rest against his chest for a moment before she stepped back and shook her head. “I’m finding something more comfortable to wear...”

She didn’t want to leave him standing there when he continued to look so lost, but her stomach was sending warning signals again and she didn’t want to worry him. She watched him for as long as she could stand it before she moved down the hallway, her hand silently sliding around the wall. 

Once she was out of his sight, she hurried into the bathroom and shut the door before the nonexistent contents of her stomach emptied into the toilet with a strangled groan from her. She barely managed to hold her hair back and she let her head rest against the cool seat, a grimace crossing her face.

“If we’re going to make it nine months,” she whispered to her miracle child, “then you’re going to have to compromise.”

She carefully rose from the ground and flushed the toilet, immediately reaching for her toothbrush. As quickly as she could, she brushed her teeth and changed into yoga pants and a loose shirt, her hands occasionally brushing across her stomach. She finally returned to the living room, relieved to see that Andy had settled on the couch with two glasses of water and her favorite blanket. She smiled as she approached him, quietly curling up against his side and tugging her blanket around herself.

“When did you get to know me so well?” she asked softly as her head came to rest against his chest.

“Sleeping with someone will do that for you,” Andy hummed in response and she was relieved that he had woken from his earlier stupor. “Loving them too, I suppose.” He grinned down at her and kissed her softly.

“I love you too,” she sighed. Despite the state of her marriage, she couldn’t help but feel guilty each time she said those words to Andy. 

“Will you keep the baby?” he asked after a moment, his gaze softening as he watched her.

“Andy, I can’t even divorce my husband for religious reason. Do you think I could have an abortion?” Her marriage was a sham, she just didn’t have the courage to end it. But Andy respected that and didn’t push her.

“There’s other options: adoption?” He shifted to wrap his arm around her waist beneath the blanket, holding her to his side.

“I’ve got to be crazy, but I think I want to keep him or her. To spend nine painful months only to give them up...” She shook her head slightly and curled into his side more. 

“It would be nice to have a little one around again,” he admitted softly. “Only to actually see them grow up...” There was a wistfulness in his voice that caused Sharon to look up again.

“What would we tell people? They still think we’re worst enemies,” she reminded him gently. “One way or another, it would be a scandal.” She wasn’t bothered by what people thought of her; she had worked in Internal Affairs for too long. What she didn’t like was people knowing intimate details of her private life. 

“So we tell as few people as possible. Pope, the Chief, your boss.” He shrugged a little and leaned back so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck as much.

“Gossip spreads like wildfire. That would last maybe a day.” She shook her head and took a deep breath as her hand rested on her stomach again. “So we either keep it a secret and just don’t mention Jack’s not the father,” she hesitated a moment, “or we admit our relationship and I file for divorce.”

Saying the words out loud left an odd silence in the condo and neither broke it for several minutes. It seemed so simple with two choices, but neither was the easier option.

“What do you want?” Andy finally asked, his gaze focused intently on her.

She took a deep breath, her head leaning back as she hugged the blanket closer. She wasn’t cold, but it was comforting to have it and Andy around her. “The era during which it was professionally useful for me to have a wedding ring on my finger is long gone,” she finally said. “I might as well...” She shrugged and reached for Andy’s hand.

“Is that what you want?”

“I love you, Andy, and I haven’t even seen Jack in years. Why hold on to something so empty when I have you and,” she laughed a little, “and a baby waiting for me.”

“So what do you want to do?” He needed confirmation, needed to make sure she was sure of her decision before they did anything.

“Let me get through the first few months and get the paperwork filed. After that, we can start confession.” She grinned a little, a hint of relief filling her green eyes behind her glasses. 

“God, I love you. I love you and our miracle baby. I’ve no idea how we’re going to raise them,” he admitted. “I mean, I’m going to have grandchildren older than our child.”

“And the age gap between Nicole, Ricky, and this baby is certainly wide, but we’ll make do.” She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. 

“For now, though, I think we need to get some fluids in you.” He carefully leaned forward to grab the glass of water and offered it to her. 

She took it and sipped eagerly, relieved when it settled in her stomach without a problem. She licked her lips and slowly finished off the glass before she laid down with her head in Andy’s lap. His hand moved to her hair and he ran his fingers through the brown strands, listening to her breathing even out as she drifted off. 


	2. 20 Weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 20 weeks into Sharon's pregnancy and changes start to occur, both within and without.

Sharon chose her clothes with care, making sure the ruffled green shirt fell as flat as it could. She sighed, her head shaking slowly as she adjusted the waistband of her skirt, shrugged into her blazer, and continued staring at her reflection in the full length mirror.

“You’re going to be late,” Andy murmured and her gaze flicked up to see his reflection appear behind her. “You look fine.”

“I look pregnant.” Her lower lip stuck out for a moment before she adjusted her glasses and turned to face him. 

“You are pregnant.” He kissed her softly and her pout returned briefly. 

“Don’t you have a crime scene?” She rested her hand on his chest and arched an eyebrow, her other hand automatically going to the slight swell of her stomach. 

Andy hummed softly in response and slid his arm around her waist. “Chief only called a few minutes ago, and I wanted to say goodbye.” He kissed her again, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You said you’re stopping by later?”

She grimaced and looked down, her fingers lightly rubbing his tie. “I have a few things for Chief Johnson to sign and a few more questions for the team. I’ll be by after court.”

“Good luck.” He huffed softly and she looked up to see a disgruntled expression cross his face. 

“You too.” She adjusted his tie and stepped back, sighing as he walked from her bedroom. She heard the front door open and close a few moments later.

She turned back to the mirror and adjusted her shirt once more before she stepped into her heels, bracing herself against the Andy’s side of the closet as she adjusted them against her feet. She wrinkled her nose and turned the closet light off before she made her way toward the front door, gathering her purse and trench coat along the way. She wasn’t living with Andy. He had just moved some of his belongings over and seemed to spend more time with her than at his own home. 

Her thoughts were elsewhere as she slid into her car and drove to the courthouse, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. Throughout the entire divorce process, she had managed to avoid her husband as much as possible. She presented him with the initial paperwork and let their lawyers do the rest. Though he tried to fight it, they both knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing him, but she was ready for it to be over. 

Despite running a few minutes late, she still arrived before Jack did; not to her surprise. She made her way to the front of the room, managing a nervous smile for her lawyer and the judge. She settled into the chair, relieved that the table was high enough to hide her stomach; she had been nothing but paranoid the past few weeks about how visible it was. 

Ten minutes passed and Sharon worried her husband wouldn’t show, that he would insist on dragging out their doomed sham of a marriage. She could tell the lawyer was growing restless and when Jack finally showed up, she had never felt more relief. The man was apologetic as he approached them, his hand briefly touching Sharon’s shoulder before he took his own seat across from the judge. 

Between the five of them, they confirmed the arrangements of their divorce within half an hour. Jack got nothing of her pension and she wouldn’t mention his backed up child support. Their kids were of age and only her name was on her condo. It was the smoothest divorce possible and Sharon was eager to see it finished as she signed the paper and returned it to the judge. 

She rose quickly with no intentions to stay and chat. Her heels echoed off the marbled floor as she strode toward the door in the back, but she could hear Jack following her. She closed her eyes briefly and mentally reminded herself to keep her hands away from her stomach. 

“Sharon! Sharon, wait.” Her hand paused on the smooth metal of the door, but she pushed it open and stepped outside before she turned to face him. Jack followed her out and the door swished shut behind him. “Are we not gonna talk about this?”

She sighed heavily. “What’s there to talk about, Jack? As of today, our marriage is dissolved and we can go our separate ways, like we’ve been doing for the past two decades.”

“I mean, what about the kids?” She watched as an almost desperate look settled across his features and she willed herself not to give in. 

“Emily and Ricky are fully grown. If they choose to see you and you choose to see them, then you’d only be doing your duty as their father.” She paused a moment and his eyes narrowed. “Is that all? I do have a job to get back to.”

“I think the stresses of your job and this divorce have you putting on weight,” he commented and she didn’t like the glint in his eyes that replaced his desperation. 

“Goodbye, Jack. Call our children, please.” She didn’t wait for another moment before she turned and headed out of the courthouse, unable to get his face out of her mind. It twisted something in her gut and she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last she’d see of her now ex-husband. 

His face remained on her mind until she pulled into the LAPD’s parking garage and was able to turn her mind to the case Major Crimes had wrapped up a few days previously. She gathered her purse and her case notes before she made her way to the ninth floor, amazed at how busy their murder room always seemed to be. 

“Chief Johnson!” She saw the blonde head darting between uniformed officers and it stopped suddenly. Sighing, Sharon picked her way between the desks until she came face to face with the fiery Deputy Chief. “I need you to sign off on these reports so I can close my end of the case.” She raised her eyebrow brief and Chief Johnson stared at her. 

“Now? I’m a bit busy.” Chief Johnson sidestepped Sharon and started for her office, the brunette only a few steps behind. 

“The sooner you sign these, the sooner I’m out of your hair until someone down here breaks another rule.” She tilted her head and stared at the woman over the rim of her glasses. “Sign, let me speak with Lieutenant Flynn and Detective Sanchez and I’m gone.” Sharon knew just how to appeal to her. 

“Fine,” Chief Johnson sighed, reaching to take the files from the FID Captain. They walked into the Chief’s office and she dropped the files on the desk, quickly grabbing a pen and scribbling her signature on the indicated lines. As Chief Johnson signed, Sharon’s gaze wandered around the office before it came to rest on the open candy drawer. She spied a red—hopefully cherry—sucker and her stomach gave a quiet rumble. “There. Now interview them and let us do our jobs.” 

Sharon quickly pulled her gaze away from the sucker and took the files, a pleased smirk crossing her lips. “Always a pleasure, Chief. Thank you.” She turned on her heel and left the office, trying to ignore the desire for something cherry that wouldn’t leave her mind now. “Detective Sanchez, do you have a moment?”

She finished her interview with Sanchez as quickly as she could, partly to be done with her report and party to get Andy alone. When the Lieutenant entered, she stubbornly remained professional until the paper had their signatures on it and she set the file aside. Andy grinned at her and she offered a small smile in return.

“All done?” he asked softly, his hand stretching out to rest on hers on the desk.

“All done,” she confirmed, her hand tilting so she could take hold of his. Her smile strengthened and she took a deep breath. “He didn’t fight it as much as I thought he would, but we’re officially divorced.” She looked down at her left hand and shook her head slightly. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually worn her wedding ring, but it felt different now that she was officially and legally free. 

“Well then, Ms. Raydor, how long do you want to wait before we tell the team? Er, my team?” Andy’s eyes searched hers and his thumb rubbed across her knuckles. 

“It’s either Sharon or Captain. None of that Ms. Raydor nonsense.” She rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand as he chuckled softly. “As soon as possible, I think. I’ve made sure that our last few cases have been spotless, so we shouldn’t have any problems there. Although, Pope might not want me investigating Major Crimes again.”

“Oh, what a shame,” he drawled, voice heavy with sarcasm. Sharon shook her head and lowered her left hand to the top of her stomach, her thumb absently stroking it through her shirt. “Is he moving more?”

“She,” Sharon insisted, her gaze moving between their unborn child and her lover, “has been mostly still today. I felt her kick a few times this morning.”

“I could feel her last night. He seems to be a fighter.” Andy smiled and stood up so he could lean over and kiss her softly. “I do have a murder to help solve and I’m sure you’re eager to file those reports.”

She smiled at the kiss and reached up to cup his cheek. “Of course. As the superior officer, I’ll inform my boss first. As soon as you’re done with this case, let me know and we’ll tell Chief Johnson.” She couldn’t withhold a shudder at that thought, but they both knew it needed to be done. 

“Aye, Captain.” He grinned and she stood up, reluctantly dropping his hand to gather the files back up. “I might not make dinner tonight.” His grin faded to an apologetic smile and she rounded the desk to kiss him again.

“I assumed as much. Now get out before the Chief thinks I’m writing you up.” She nudged him toward the door and adjusted her shirt and skirt; the waistband had been digging into her stomach all morning, but she didn’t have the heart or time to purchase larger maternity clothes. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Andy. Now get.” She shooed him with her hand and leaned against the desk while he left, her eyes double checking the contents of the files for a few moments before she followed him out. 

She was surprised by how easily her boss took the news of her relationship. She agreed they could remain professional and her Commander had merely smiled and left her to finish her reports. She had known it wouldn’t be problematic, but it was still a relief to have knocked two things off her list. Once they dealt with Chief Johnson, they only had to reveal her pregnancy and then have a baby. 

She had the condo to herself that night, Andy busy with the case Major Crimes had. She wasn’t surprised, more relieved to have a night to herself. Though she longed for a glass of wine, she settled for carbonated cranberry juice and a warm bubble bath, using the time to map out the changing appearance of her stomach and the stretch marks starting to appear. She was asleep in bed by the time Andy made it back, sleeping soundly as he undressed and slid in behind her. They were convinced they could wrap their case up the following morning, but he was content to hold Sharon close for the night in the meantime. 

He woke her the next morning with soft kisses and gentle touches, his hands spreading out over her stomach as he felt for their child. A soft kick greeted him and he smiled, his gaze moving to Sharon’s face when she grumbled softly and shifted onto her side. 

“That was my bladder,” she complained sleepily, her eyes remaining stubbornly shut. 

Andy chuckled as a guilty expression settled on his face and he kissed where he had felt the kick. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“Stop riling her up while I’m sleeping.” She blinked her eyes open and stretched, a loud yawn slipping from her lips. She settled back against the bed and tugged the blankets higher, her eyes seeking out his. 

“Sorry,” he repeated and he leaned up to nuzzle their noses together. She smiled and rubbed at her eyes. “Next time I’ll wake you up first.”

“Or she could just move her foot away from my bladder.” She took a deep breath and slowly rolled to her other side so she could push herself to a sitting position and look back at him. “What time did you get home?” She didn’t stop to question her word choice; at this point in their lives and their relationship, what was the point of semantics like that?

“Few minutes before midnight. We had to wait until this morning for lab results, so Chief sent us home.” He shrugged and looked her over before he sat up himself and pressed a kiss to both of her exposed shoulders. “I thought I’d wait for you so we could tell her once the case is closed.” 

She hummed softly and nodded before she stood up. “Yeah, let me shower and get dressed.”

“Take your time. I’ll get breakfast started.”

Sharon rolled her eyes as she made her way into the connected bathroom. She knew they didn’t have all the time like he made it seem, but she wasn’t going to point that out to him. She’d do her best to hurry and hope that Chief Johnson was in as good a mood as possible. 

The opposite turned out to be true and Chief Johnson made sure everyone knew it as Sharon followed Andy into Major Crimes. The blonde immediately questioned Sharon’s appearance and the Captain calmly explained she had left a folder behind. Chief Johnson scowled but didn’t question her and Sharon made sure to vacate the room as quickly as she could, leaving discrete instructions for Andy to text her when they were done.

She retreated to her office to catch up on paperwork, one hand resting on her stomach and her eyes occasionally glancing to her phone on the desk. After two hours, she finally received Andy’s text and she felt her heart jump into her throat.

_Deal made. Hobbs is wrapping it up now. See you soon?_

She shook her head slightly as she typed out a positive response and scrawled her signature on the page she had been staring at. She set the paper back into the folder and slipped it into her drawer before she slipped her heels back on and stood up. 

“Let’s get this over with,” she told her empty office. She fiddled with her blazer before she walked into the hallway and toward the elevator, her hands finally finding their way into her pockets. She hesitated just outside the door marked ‘Major Crimes’ before she nudged it open and walked inside. “Chief Johnson, Lieutenant Flynn, we need to talk.” 

The words were out of her mouth just as she rounded the corner and she saw the fire immediately flare up in the Chief’s expression. Andy merely stared at her, awkwardly crouched by his desk where he had been about to sit down. 

“If you insist, Cap’n Raydor,” Chief Johnson murmured, but her eyebrow shot up and she guided the silver-haired Lieutenant toward her office. Sharon followed after them and made sure the door was securely shut and locked. “What has Lieutenant Flynn done now?”

Sharon internally laughed, but managed to keep a blank expression on her face as she glanced between her lover and his boss. As the superior officer, she knew she should instigate the conversation, but Andy knew and liked her so much more. 

“Something has arisen,” she finally began, her hands sliding from her pockets to fold in front of her. She carefully shifted her weight and struggled not to glance at Andy again. “Andy and I…” She saw the shock flicker across Chief Johnson’s face briefly and then fade away. Both women knew how to put a professional mask on.

“I know, Cap’n,” Chief Johnson finally interrupted. She leaned back against her desk and crossed one leg over the other, glancing between the nervous woman from IA and one of her best lieutenants. “Or at least, I suspected.”

Sharon’s eyebrows shot up and she couldn’t hide her own surprise. Andy smiled a little and crossed his arms over his chest. “Suspected?” he prompted and Chief Johnson scowled.

“I’m not stupid, Andy. The past few weeks I’ve noticed little things here ’n there.” Sharon couldn’t read the Chief’s expression and she had no idea which direction this conversation would go. “The two of you arrived to work together today, and I saw you out last weekend.” She wrinkled her nose and rested her hands against the desk. 

“We would have brought this to your attention sooner,” Andy began, his arms unfolding so he could gesture with his hands.

“It was my idea to hold back,” Sharon interrupted, and it was the truth. She took a deep breath and her eyes closed briefly, amazed that she was revealing this much of her personal life to the impossible Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. “I wanted to wait until my divorce was finalized, but then we found ourselves surprised and realized it was time to inform our supervisors.”

Chief Johnson’s head tilted slightly and she continued looking between Andy and Sharon. Her expression flitted between confusion, shock, and finally settled on a mixture of them both. “How the hell…?” she pointed her finger first at her Lieutenant and then to Sharon. “How?”

Sharon let out a short laugh and surprised herself, an embarrassed look quickly crossing her face. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I honestly don’t know, Chief Johnson.” She shook her head slightly and raised her gaze to the other woman’s. 

“I can’t complain,” she finally huffed. “I’ve worked with my own husband and it works out just fine.” She hesitated, eyes narrowing as she looked between them. “God, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but be discreet. Be professional and be discrete and I don’t wanna see any of it.”

Sharon flushed a dark red and her nervous hands moved to her stomach for comfort. Chief Johnson noticed the movement and she groaned softly before she moved around her desk and tugged a ding dong out of her drawer. 

“We can be discrete and professional, Chief, just like we have been. Sharon’s cleared it with her boss and you won’t even know.”

“That’ll work for a few more weeks,” she huffed and Sharon stared at her. “I’m guessing the child is yours, Andy?” 

Sharon didn’t know she could blush any more, but she felt her cheeks warm up and she closed her eyes behind her glasses. “Yes, it’s his. But don’t think that interferes with anything. We can still do our jobs, and it’s not like I’m in the line of fire.”

Chief Johnson grimaced and started unwrapping the chocolate treat, her gaze focused intently on it. “Fine, fine. Ya’ll have my blessing or whatever it is you need. Just do your jobs and go before I learn anything more I didn’t want to know.”

Sharon could understand the other woman’s sentiments and nodded quickly, her hand reaching for Andy’s. If the rest of Major Crimes saw her drag him out by his hand, so be it.


	3. 28 Weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 28 weeks in and the start of the third trimester. Sharon starts to realize she's not as young as she once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, this chapter didn't want to get started. I have too many ideas for the following chapters, but I managed to get this one up to scraps and posted! Enjoy.

Andy paced from the bedroom to the hallway and continued on into the nursery before he turned around and started for the living room. He fiddled with his phone, shifting it from hand to hand and constantly glancing down at the dark screen. Finally, he stopped near the kitchen and unlocked his phone with a sigh, quickly dialing Sharon’s number.

“Hey, Sharon. I haven’t heard from you in a while and you said you’d be home by now. Everything okay? Call me.” He sighed as he left the voicemail, reluctantly ending the call and running his fingers through his disheveled hair. With nothing else to do, he made his way to the couch and flopped down with the remote, flipping through the TV channels in search of something to watch.

He was halfway through Dancing With Wolves when he finally heard the front door unlock and open. He rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes and glanced at the time, his brow furrowing when he saw it was a few minutes after midnight. He sat up and looked toward the entryway, watching as Sharon slowly made her way through the darkness. He watched her for several moments as she slowly unburdened herself, coat, blazer, shoes, and purse all falling aside. How she made it all day in those heels he would never know.

“Sharon.” His voice was soft, but her head jerked up anyway and he watched as her hands moved immediately to her stomach.

“Andy…” She blinked slowly and took a deep breath, her thumb smoothing along the stretched fabric of her shirt. “God, I’m sorry I’m late. Paperwork for this last investigation.” She sighed and looked him over. “I need to change, but I’ll be right back.”

“Are you okay?” He watched as her hand moved along her stomach to cradle her back.

“I’m fine, just tired,” she murmured, her eyes closing briefly. “I’ll be right back.”

She made her way into the bedroom, stocking-clad feet dragging along the ground. She tugged her shirt off before she was even down the hallway, tossing it into the general direction of the closet. She heard it hit the floor and sighed, torn between cleaning it up and not wanting to bend over. She finally left it and carefully eased out of her skirt, the rest of her clothing soon following. She grimaced and outlined the irritated red marks her skirt had left before she trailed her fingers along the large swell of her stomach. She felt the baby kick and brushed over the spot with a small smile.

Finally, she slipped into a long-sleeved nightgown and swept her hair back into a messy bun before she started toward the living room. 

“I’m sorry I kept you up,” she murmured softly as she curled up against his side. She adjusted the heating pad and flipped it on so it rested against her sore back before she let her head rest against Andy’s shoulder. “My phone died earlier and I was trying to wrap up the case so I could get home. I knew you’d be worried.”

“You were late and not answering your phone; I assumed the worst,” he sighed, his fingers absently playing with the tendrils of hair at the nape of her neck. She shifted closer and let one hand rest on his thigh, the other absently drawing on the swell of her stomach.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, her eyes falling shut. She felt guilty for worrying him and even guiltier for lying to him, but she knew it was better than telling the truth. She sighed softly and shifted again, futilely trying to find a comfortable position. “Her foot is stuck right against my ribs,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry, but maybe if you acknowledged we’re having a son, then he’d move,” he teased gently and he pressed a kiss to the top of her hair.

“You try carrying 20 extra pounds and a baby all day,” she huffed, her head shaking slightly as she looked up at him.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he murmured in response.

She groaned quietly and arched her back, her hand moving from his thigh to stretch above her head. “That was a kick right to the ribs,” she huffed out.

Andy winced in sympathy and brushed his hand down to her stomach, his thumb tracing across the soft fabric of her night gown over her stomach. “Hey, be nice to your mother. She does a lot of work for you.”

She smiled despite herself and lowered her arms to rest on top of her stomach. Andy leaned over and kissed her cheek before he trailed a hand across her arm where her nightgown sleeve had risen up. His brow furrowed as he encountered a bump and he tilted her arm to look at it.

“What happened?” She heard the obvious concern in his voice and glanced to her arm first and then to his face, scanning his furrowed brow and narrowed, dark eyes. “It looks like… Sharon?”

She bit her lip and dropped her gaze to her stomach, her body tensing up. “It’s nothing, Andy. Just a small cut from work.” She knew the lie was worthless at this point.

“Really? Because it looks suspiciously like you had blood drawn or an IV, and I don’t remember you having a doctor’s appointment today.” His voice wasn’t accusing, but she couldn’t escape the concern on his face as he brushed his finger over the gauze.

“It’s nothing, Andy.” She brushed his hand aside and carefully straightened up, her hand reaching back to push the heating pad down. “I’m exhausted,” she sighed. “Are you staying the night?”

They had discussed the possibility of Andy officially moving in to make it easier with the baby, but his house still had another few weeks left on the lease before they could do anything. She noticed how more of his belongings had appeared—not that she pointed it out—and they had slowly stared changing the spare room into a nursery. Despite all of this, she still questioned when and if he would return to her.

“Of course,” he answered immediately, his concern-filled gaze still watching her. “Can you get up?” He carefully slid out from her and stood up, his arms crossing over his chest.

“Of course I can,” she huffed, a half-hearted glare settling on her tired features. She carefully shifted to the edge of the couch and braced herself against the arm before she eased to her feet. A low groan escaped her and she pressed both hands to her back, a huff of pain slipping out. “I’m good,” she panted. “She’s just pressing on my back more now.” She didn’t mention the headache that had been pounding at her temples for most of the day, chalking it up to dehydration and stress.

He reached out and rubbed at her lower back, his head shaking slightly. “Are you okay?” He rested his other hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently in an attempt to soothe their active child.

“I need to sit. Bedroom?”

He nodded quickly and kept his arm around her as he guided her down the hallway. He helped her into bed and onto her side, carefully tucking the blankets around her. She adjusted the blanket and slid her glasses off, her green eyes shifting to look at him.

“Will you bring the heating pad and make sure the lights are turned off?” she asked softly, holding his gaze before her eyes fluttered closed.

“I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead and rubbed his hand across her stomach again before he retreated to the bathroom. He gathered her heating pad in one hand and shut off the lights before he returned. He plugged the heating pad in by the bed and her eyes blinked open. “Where do you want it?”

“My back, please?” She pushed the blanket aside and he settled it against her before he pushed the blankets back over it. “Lay down and I’ll tell you the truth…”

He watched as she yawned and shifted in the bed, a grimace crossing her face. He hesitated before he tugged his shirt and pants off and slid into the bed behind her; he was wary of the heating pad, but settled as close to her as he could, his arm draped across so he could continue stroking her stomach.

“It can wait until morning if you’re tired,” he sighed, his own eyes closing as he willed her body to relax.

“No, I should have just told you…” He felt her shift again and he quickly leaned over to shut the light off, shrouding the room in the dim light from the moon. “I was at a scene with Robbery/Homicide earlier.” She huffed quietly and tugged the blankets closer. “I felt faint and a little out of sorts. I think I blacked out for a few moments…”

“Jesus, Sharon. Why didn’t you call? You didn’t drive, did you?” He pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at her, his eyes scanning what he could see of her face.

“I’m fine,” she answered, carefully rolling toward him a little so she could see him. “I didn’t want to worry you until I knew what was going on, so I let the paramedics on scene look me over.” She paused and took a deep breath, a yawn filling the silence. “The baby is just pressing on some nerves and blood vessels and it’s perfectly normal. I just have to take it easy and drink enough water.”

She quickly settle back on her side so the bed could cradle the weight of her stomach. Andy slowly relaxed into the bed behind her, his head pillowed by his arm. He trailed his fingers up and down her side and occasionally ventured along her stomach, feeling her shiver under his touch.

“I’m going to worry about you anyway,” he admitted. “Please call me, Sharon. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”

She longed to roll over to face him, but the thought of that much movement made her bones ache. She settled for lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a firm squeeze. “I promise I won’t keep my heath from you,” she finally murmured. “It’s just… Seven months can’t overrule two decades.”

“Just remind yourself that I’m here, that I’m not going anywhere.” He took a deep breath and leaned to kiss her shoulder, trailing a few more up toward her neck. “I can talk to Chief Johnson and get a few days off so we can finish moving. And by we, I mean you’ll sit and watch.”

“I’d love to,” she yawned in response, and tucked her legs up a little closer. “Goodnight, Andy.”

“Goodnight, my stubborn Captain.”

He listened as she fell asleep, his fingers never ceasing their movements across her stomach. He felt their baby shift and kick against his hand occasionally until his hand finally stilled and he too drifted off.

He was still asleep when Sharon stirred a few hours later, the heels of her hands coming to press on her eyes. She stifled a groan as she pushed back against Andy, the heating pad cool between them. He stirred but didn’t wake, his arm tightening around her. She a sigh, she eased the blankets off and slowly sat up, her hands cradling her stomach as she moved. Her baby kicked out at the shift and she winced, wishing it would move one way or another away from her ribs and spine.

She glanced back to make sure Andy was still sleeping before she stood up and padded into the kitchen in search of something to drink. Her stomach was calling for wine, but she settled for a glass of water instead, leaning against the counter while she sipped at the cool liquid.

She alternated between rubbing at her stomach and rubbing at her back, fingers kneading into the store muscles. She groaned softly, a slight pout forming as she finished off her water and set it aside.

“Neither Emily nor Ricky caused me this much trouble,” she sighed to herself, her fingers gently tugging through her hair. She stifled a yawn and let her head rest in her hand, torn between the exhaustion dragging her down and her restless unborn child.

In the silence of the condo, she heard Andy’s phone start ringing in the bedroom. Cringing at the thought of a case, she started back toward the bedroom so he wouldn’t panic when he woke up without her. He flipped the light on just as she walked into the room and they both groaned softly as he answered the phone.

“Lieutenant Flynn,” he grumbled into the phone and Sharon eased herself onto the edge of the bed, her eyes roaming his bare backside once they were adjusted to the light. “It’s four in the morning, God. Yeah, I’ll be there. Gimme twenty minutes.” He placed his phone back on the nightstand and twisted to face her, his sleep-filled eyes searching her face. “I’m sorry,” he finally murmured.

“I know. It’s your job... I couldn’t sleep anyway.” She knew she wasn’t likely to get back to sleep now, especially without him beside her.

She watched as he pushed the blankets aside and made his way into the closet to get dressed. Her eyes moved to the clock and she grimaced at the blinking numbers that told her it was far too early to be awake for the day. She hoped it would be an easy day for the both of them.

Andy was out the door within ten minutes and Sharon made her way to the living room, hoping a dull, early-morning show would put her back to sleep. She rested against the heating pad with her arms cradling her seven month stomach. After several moments, she gave up and retreated to the nursery, settling into the comfy rocker they had purchased a few weeks ago. She settled into it and stretched her legs out, a relieved groan escaping her as she stared across at the simple, black crib. 

He found her a few hours later in a similar position, her head leaning to the side and her glasses barely hanging on. He smiled and watched her, despite how his eyes threatened to close with exhaustion. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes roaming over her from her bare feet to her swelling stomach, and finally to her enchanting green eyes.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” he murmured, a slight grin tugging at his lips. 

She shook her head and pushed herself up, the rocking chair swaying behind her as she adjusted her glasses and brushed her hair aside. “I must have slept the day away if you’re home.” She smiled sleepily and approached him, her hand settling on his chest. 

“It’s only going on ten. You don’t have to work today?” He settled his hand on her stomach and she hummed softly as her head came to rest against him.

“Not unless the Commander calls me in. Lucy wanted me to stop by later after the dizziness I had yesterday,” she murmured, her eyes sliding closed. “You should go back to sleep, assuming the case is done?”

“FBI swarmed in and took over. Chief sent us home.” He shrugged and kissed her forehead. “I think I’ll find something to eat before I crash. Need anything?”

“I could use something to drink.” She smiled up at him, eyes shinning behind her glasses. It was the moments like these, when neither had to rush off anywhere, that she truly cherished. They were few and far between, but she understood the unpredictability of their lives. “I could make an omelet?”

“No, you’ll get off your feet. I can make my own breakfast.” He kissed her softly, a soft groan falling from her lips as she slowly deepened it. His stomach rumbled and she stepped back, a giggle slipping out. “I said I’m hungry,” he grinned.

Her hand patted his tie down before she led the way out of the nursery, giving him a clear view of her messy hair and backside. She glanced back at him and arched an eyebrow, a blush creeping up her neck and across her cheeks. 

“What?” Her eyebrow arched higher as she felt along the fridge for the handle, her gaze never leaving his.

“Pregnant women really do have a glow.” He brushed his hand along the curve of her back as he stepped into the kitchen to grab a pan.

She huffed softly in response and pulled out the container of orange juice, her other hand reaching for a glass. “Hormones,” she answered offhandedly, her eyes glancing to him as she filled her glass and took a sip.

“The one time when that is the acceptable answer.” Andy chuckled as he moved around her to gather the ingredients for his omelet, their hands brushing whenever they could. 

After a few minutes, Sharon finally retreated to the table, settling into the seat and leaning back so she could watch Andy cook breakfast. Her eyes followed him across the kitchen until the smell of his omelet twisted her stomach and she rose with a groan, her orange juice abandoned on the table. 

“I don’t think our daughter is fond of eggs yet,” she sighed, stifling a yawn as she briefly leaned against the table.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sharon.” He looked back at her, his lips twitching into a frown. “I’ll be done soon and get the smell out.”

She shook her head and held her hand up to stop him, a small grimace of a smile crossing her features. “It’s fine. Don’t let my picky eating stop you. I’ll go shower while you eat.”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, sighing softly. “Call if you need anything?” 

“It’s just a shower, now eat.” 

He listened to the sounds of her retreating into the bathroom and flipped his breakfast onto a plate, his eyes closing briefly. He had to make it through breakfast and then he could sleep. Hopefully, with Sharon tucked against his side again. 

He quickly scarfed his food, both out of consideration for Sharon and his own hunger. The shower was still running by the time he had his dishes washed, so he retreated to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed fully dressed, his eyes focused on the door. He tried to stay awake, but found his eyes fluttering shut and he sighed softly. He managed to open them when he heard the shower shut off and watched a towel-clad Sharon cross the room, the bathroom door shutting behind her. 

“Forget something?” he rumbled softly, shifting onto his back so he could toe his shoes off. He heard them hit the floor and his eyes found her as she changed into loose pants and a tank top. 

“Just my clothes,” she answered, offering him a sheepish smile as she looked him over and adjusted the stretchy waistband of her pants. “Make room for me?”

Andy shifted over to his side on the bed and drew her side’s covers back. She smiled gratefully and settled in; he let out a loud yawn which passed to her as she snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes. 

“You should give me a massage,” she murmured, a small smile forming on her lips. “Just after you’ve had more than two hours of sleep.”

“I’d love to. Now get some rest because you didn’t get much more than I did.” He laughed softly and pressed a firm kiss to the shell of her ear. “And we only have a few more months of this before we have a baby.

“Just make sure I’m up by one for my appointment, please,” she yawned in response, her hand finding Andy’s and giving it a tight squeeze.

“Awake by one, got it. I love you, Sharon.” He kissed her shoulder this time and she hummed softly, his hand squeezing hers back.

“I love you too.”


	4. 10 Months Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to ten months ago, three months before the pregnancy discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show how two unlikely people ended up together (excluding the way it really worked in MC season four), so I put together this flashback chapter. We'll return to Sharon's regularly scheduled pregnancy next chapter.

Sharon was completely against relying on anyone other than herself. This included driving herself. Even when she went out with Gavin, she kept her drinking to a minimum so she could drive home. It was one of the many aftereffects of her shredded marriage to Jack that was somehow still legally held together. 

The last place she wanted to be stranded was at a crime scene with Major Crimes. Ricky was in town and had borrowed her car, agreeing to drop her off at the scene before he went out. He promised to pick her up as soon as she called and Sharon had believed him before she hurried toward the problematic scene and their two dead bodies. 

Three hours later, Sharon was left with Chief Johnson, Lieutenant Flynn, and no way home from the dark and gang-filled neighborhood. 

She watched as the Chief paced in front of her car, fingers fiddling with the candy wrapper she held. She glanced at Flynn occasionally and Sharon even rarer, but no one said anything for several long minutes. Sharon occupied herself with her phone and Flynn scanned the neighborhood around them. 

“Lieutenant Flynn,” Chief Johnson finally sighed, pausing in her pacing so she stood in front of the older woman. “I have things to do. Will you please take Cap’n Raydor home so we can get outta here.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at the silver-haired man.

“Chief, I--” he started, but Sharon held up her hand and shook her head.

“It’s fine. Thank you for waiting this long.” Truth be told, the Chief had been getting on her nerves the entire time she had been at the scene and she would almost be grateful for her to leave. 

“Please, Lieutenant. I’d hate to get accused of leaving someone else to their death.” Chief Johnson gave a pointed look around them before her eyes settled on Sharon. The brunette withheld her comment.

“Fine,” Flynn finally huffed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. “Let’s go.” He fished his keys out of his pocket and gestured to his car a few feet behind him, his finger pressing the unlock button.

Sharon hesitated, her fingers tightening around the handle of her purse. She decided a few minutes alone with Flynn were better than standing in this neighborhood alone, so she nodded to Chief Johnson and followed the Lieutenant to his car. 

She slid into the passenger seat and set her purse at her feet, quickly buckling herself in before she dared a glance at Flynn. He started the car and she shivered as the air initially blasted out cold. 

“Sorry,” he muttered as he turned the heat on and buckled his own seatbelt. 

Sharon shook her head slightly and sighed as she folded her hands in her lap. “You’ll want to turn around and then turn left at the stop sign,” she directed, trying not to shift in her seat. 

He grunted and turned the radio on, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not disturb them. She raised an eyebrow as the first strains of Styx came through the speakers. She raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing, her fingers tightening around each other as the music grew louder.

“Left,” she murmured, her eyes flicking to him over the rim of her glasses. He grunted again and she couldn’t contain her sigh. It would be a long twenty minutes. 

After a few minutes, she unclenched her hands and her left fell to rest in the seat by her thigh. As it fell, it brushed Flynn’s resting on the center console and she quickly tucked her hand against her side. He glanced down and her eyebrow shot up again, silently daring him to make a comment.

She had seen the looks he shot her when he thought she wasn’t looking. Lingering glances in varying levels of appropriateness. She was sure she was guilty of the same thing, though she at least tried harder to hide her glances. He was the problematic officer and she was the one who was supposed to reign him in; they didn’t like each other and she was married. 

She raised her gaze to the window and saw they had missed the turn for her complex. She cringed and reluctantly looked at him. “Turn around here and then take your second right.”

Flynn looked at her and shifted in his seat. She knew a sarcastic remark was coming before he opened his mouth. “Have you never driven home before?”

“I was distracted,” she retorted quickly. “It’s been a long night.”

“You didn’t think paying attention would be a good idea? I’d like to get home tonight too.” He huffed and shook his head as he made a u-turn and then pulled into her complex’s parking lot. “Where am I dropping you off?”

Sharon glared and pointed out the entrance to the parking garage, unbuckling her seatbelt as he entered it and the car lit up with the dull orange lights of the garage.

“I could ticket you for that,” he commented as he stopped the car by the elevators and shifted in his seat to look at her.

“And I could ticket you for that u-turn.” She shook her head and gathered her purse, her eyes glancing around the car. 

“Fair enough.”

“Thank you for the ride.” She moved to open the door, but he started moving the car again and she quickly stopped her hand. “Lieutenant!”

“There’s someone waiting by the elevator. If I drop you off and anything happens, Chief’ll have my ass.” He nodded his head back toward the elevator and pulled into the closest parking spot. Sharon stifled a groan and rested her hand on the door handle. “Just covering my ass.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I can handle myself. I’m an armed LAPD Captain.” Even as she said the words, she grabbed her purse and slid out. He came around behind the car and they started toward the elevator. She scanned the shadows but saw no one, her shoulders shrugging slowly. “See, I’m fine.”

“I’m trying to be nice here.” He held up his hands in surrender and Sharon turned to face him after she pressed the button to call the elevator. 

“I didn’t know you had it in you,” she muttered, “but thank you,” she added after a brief pause. “I appreciate the gesture.”

He stepped forward and blocked the doors with his arm so she could walk inside, pressing the button for her floor before she leaned against the railing and lightly rested her hand on it. Flynn leaned across from her, but she noticed how he inched closer the further up they went. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, but he didn’t say anything until they emerged from the small space and started down the hallway. She couldn’t understand why he was still insisting on walking her to the door like an old fashioned courtship, but she found herself walking that much closer to him anyway. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” she finally sighed as they reached her door and she fumbled in her purse for her keys. “I’ll be sure to let Chief Johnson know how gentlemanly you’ve been.” She offered him a small but sincere smile and looked up to find him staring at her. Her gaze dropped so she could find the right key.

“Why do you put up such a cold exterior?” She looked up again in shock; he was still staring at her with his head tilted slightly and his arms crossed over his chest.

“I--What?” She furrowed her brow and her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her mind whirling to comprehend his words.

“You put out this cold and hard image, but that’s not you. You do...” “e let out a short chuckle, “The Wicked Witch does have a heart.”

“I... No... What?” she stammered, her fingers closing around the key. The edges dug into her palm but she ignored it. 

“People might like you more if they see this side of you.” He shrugged and uncrossed his arms, the hall lights flickering off his ring and exposed bracelet. 

“That’s not the point,” she finally managed. “I do my job and get out. I’m not there to be liked.”

Flynn took a step closer and leaned his shoulder against her door. She let her keys fall and caught her finger on the keyring to they dangled loosely by her leg. His eyes roamed over her and she saw something in their dark depths that she hadn’t seen from him. From others, but never from him. 

“Surely even you want to be liked,” he finally said and she was surprised by how soft his voice was. This was a completely different Andrew Flynn and she didn’t know where he came from. 

“Sometimes there’s more important things,” she admitted after a moment. She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer and looked down at her gently swinging keys. She was out of her depth and didn’t know where this was going, where she wanted it to go. “You make do with what you have and you get the job done.” She forced herself to look at him again, a slight smile crossing her lips as she shrugged. 

“You should smile more often too, Captain. It’s hard to be angry with such a… beautiful smile.” He said the last words so softly that she doubted what was said, if he said anything at all. 

She swallowed and shifted carefully in her heels, her eyes flicking from Flynn’s face to her door. “I can… Coffee? For bringing me home?” she managed to offer, her hands awkwardly gesturing as she spoke.

“Sure, thanks.” He straightened up and she finally—finally—managed to unlock her door. 

She nudged it open and Flynn followed her inside, watching as she deposited her things and immediately stepped out of her heels. “Regular or decaf?”

He raised an eyebrow and they moved toward the kitchen, Sharon turning lights on as they passed through the living room. “Decaf would be great. I’ve been up long enough as it is. Two scoops of sugar and a dash of milk?” He laughed softly and she glanced back at him as her hands grabbed two coffee mugs and she moved toward the coffee pot. 

The awkwardness hung in the air between them, neither sure where the lines lay or which ones could be crossed. Sharon knew she had shattered a few by allowing him inside and she wasn’t sure why she had done that. She had already lost track of the rules they had broken and she wasn’t sure why she kept going.

His smile, her mind supplied and she turned back to look at him. A small smile did grace his features as he looked around her small condo, tugging at his lips and lightly crinkling his eyes. It was so different from the sarcastic smirk and taunting grin he usually wore. Definitely his smile. 

“Here you are,” she murmured as she passed him his coffee and took a sip of her own.

“Thanks,” he hummed and she found herself blushing a little. 

She inwardly scolded herself and immediately took another drink. The heat singed the tip of her tongue and she hid a wince as she set her mug on the counter. She licked at the roof of her mouth and shook her head slightly, her hands coming to rest on either side of her mug.

“I thought your son was visiting.” His words surprised her and she found herself searching his face again, eyebrow arching at the little facts he remembered.

“He is,” she answered slowly. “The car wasn’t downstairs, so I’m sure he’s still out. Visiting old friends from school or something.” She shrugged and found herself biting at her lower lip. An old habit she thought she had broken long ago. “We planned to have dinner tomorrow, so I’m not worried about him.”

Flynn hummed in response and she watched him sip at his coffee, much more careful than she had been. He looked like he was about to say something, but he took another drink instead and Sharon leaned her hip against the counter, her hands curling around the mug for warmth. A mildly awkward smile crossed her lips and she heard him laugh again.

“What’s so funny?” 

“I’ve seen you smile more in the past few minutes than I have the entire time I’ve known you. It’s almost like you’re letting your guard down.” His tone was teasing in a way she had heard from him, but it had never been directed toward her like this. 

“It’s harder to be the Wicked Witch when I’m standing barefoot in my own kitchen.” A sly grin of her own crossed her face, surprising herself. She blamed the long day, the stressful case, for this sudden disappearance of her rulebook. 

Flynn set his coffee down and leaned against the counter, their bodies mere inches apart in some areas. She felt her breath hitch at suddenly being so close to someone and a slow grin spread across his face, causing hers to fade to an almost shy smile. 

“I don’t think Chief Johnson would be very happy if she knew you were attempting to seduce someone from IA,” she whispered, watching as mocked surprise flickered in his eyes.

“Is that what I’m doing? I believe you’re the one who invited me inside.”

“You offered to walk me up to the door,” she countered, their voices growing softer. This close, they barely needed to vocalize their words for the other to hear.

“There was someone standing by the elevators,” he murmured.

“No one I saw.” She shifted carefully, not meaning to draw them closer but doing it anyway. Their hands were pressed against the counter, fingertips almost brushing.

“That’s because I lied.”

She didn’t have time to comprehend his words before his lips were pressed against hers. A surprised gasp slipped from her lips and she found herself kissing back, battling him for dominance. His hand moved from the counter to cradle her neck and she rested her hand on his hip, her eyes quickly closing. 

They finally parted for breath and their eyes met, Sharon panting softly for air. “Captain…” he began,but she shook her head ever so slightly.

“You don’t get to do that and try to revert back to rank,” she huffed. Neither of their hands moved and their eyes remained locked. “Either call me Sharon and kiss me again, or go home.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Just as she started to question if they should be doing this, his lips connected with her and he tugged her against him to rest his free hand on her waist. It drove all thoughts from her mind and her fingers tangled in his shirt as she kissed him back, his lips drawing soft gasps from her. A night without her rulebook, without her rank, might be necessary—and those lips.


	5. 34-35 Weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon's done this before, but every pregnancy is different. Especially when someone lends an unexpected hand.

The first time her stomach gave a slight squeeze, Sharon had paused for nearly two minutes, her makeup brush suspended between the counter and her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, dropping the brush to the counter so she could rest her hand against her stomach. Her thumb lightly traced along the swell as she waited. When nothing further happened, she passed it off and continued getting ready; a crime scene, Major Crimes, and a dead officer awaited her. 

It became a minor annoyance during the day, occasionally stopping her mid-sentence as she waited for the pain to pass. She did her best to ignore it, one hand on her stomach as she battled Chief Johnson for control of the crime scene. She did her best to hide the pauses from Andy, knowing her overprotective lover would kick into overdrive despite their murder.

“Cap’n!” Sharon turned around at Chief Johnson’s thick accent, her head shaking slightly as she tugged her thick jacket around herself more. She cursed herself for thinking this crime scene battle was over so soon. “Follow me.”

She arched an eyebrow briefly and tucked her notepad into her pocket before she followed the Chief’s bright pink jacket to the opposite side of the crime scene. They ducked under the crime scene tape and entered a quieter area away from the officers and press before the blonde turned around.

“Are you okay?”

Surprise flickered across Sharon’s face before she could hide it, her head tilting to the side. “I’m fine,” she answered immediately. She knew it was no secret that she was well into her pregnancy, but no one had treated her any differently and she was appreciative of that. 

“Sure about that?” Chief Johnson looked her over, her arms crossing over her chest. “You looked like you were in pain.”

She was completely stunned by the other’s concern and that fact that she had noticed. It took her a few moments to compose a sentence and she found herself glancing around what she could see of the crime scene. 

“Just Braxton-Hicks contractions,” she finally sighed, her nose wrinkling beneath her glasses. “I had them with both my previous pregnancies. Painful and annoying, but not dangerous. Just hoping this will all be done soon.” She shifted her weight and lightly rubbed her stomach, feeling her baby shift and kick in response. 

“Just don’t go distractin’ my lieutenant. I need him.” Chief Johnson nodded once and looked Sharon over again before she took a step back. “Take it easy, Cap’n.” 

“Will do, Chief,” she answered, a small smile forming. This was certainly a new side of Brenda Leigh and while she couldn’t say she liked the woman, at least she knew she had a heart. “Can I get back to my crime scene now?”

“Not your crime scene!” The aggravating woman called the words as she ducked under the tape and started back toward where their bodies were. Sharon huffed and slowly followed her. 

———

It took four days before Sharon was at her wit’s end. She wasn’t even to term yet. The false contractions kept up, slowly driving the already-sleep deprived woman insane. Everything on her body ached every minute of every day, but she was stubbornly determined to work up until the birth. In Internal Affairs, it was possible. Even if Andy cautioned her against it and all but begged her to take maternity leave as soon as possible.

He nearly drew the line at allowing her to leave the city. Major Crimes’s case and her investigation had directed them down to Gardena for answers. No one was happy about the three hour trip, least of all Sharon and Brenda Leigh as the heads of their divisions. They elected to travel together and leave the rest of her team in LA to work on the other leads. It wasn’t the best situation, but Sharon wasn’t willing to back down from her job and this case. 

It took her all of half an hour to realize just how painful this trip was going to be. Without the ability to walk around and breathe through the ever-persistent false labor, it felt the pain was growing worse. She found herself huffing her way through it, trying not to draw the Chief’s attention to her. Luckily, the woman seemed focused on the road and whatever song was playing on the radio. 

“There’s a gas station up ahead on the right,” Sharon murmured as they sped past the road sign and she felt herself sigh in relief. “Mind if we stop?”

“Not at all—I need water,” Chief Johnson murmured and an audible sigh of relief slipped past Sharon’s lips. “You okay, Cap’n?”

“Just need to walk around,” she responded shortly, her fingers absently adjusting the seatbelt so it didn’t dig into her stomach as much. 

She stood from the car as soon as Chief Johnson parked, her eyes scanning the surprisingly clean area. The Chief made her way inside and Sharon began slowly walking around the car, her hand coming to rest on the curve of her back. Sitting up for nearly an hour straight had only worsened the ache in her back and walking around didn’t seem to be helping. She kept up the movement until her companion came back with two bottles of water. Sharon gratefully accepted one of them before they returned to the car. 

“Do you want me to drive?” she offered, even though it was the last thing she felt like doing. 

Chief Johnson shot her a look as she kept ahold of the keys and slid into the driver’s seat. Sharon took the hint and returned to her own seat, watching as the other woman started the car without comment.

The next few hours were almost agonizing for both women. Some relief came when they finally reached Gardena PD and were able to leave the cramped confines of Chief Johnson’s car. The blonde continued casting Sharon worried looks, but she waved them off with assurances that she was perfectly fine. With Andy Flynn as the father, it shouldn’t be a surprise that her unborn child was stubborn and active. 

She did her best not to shift in her chair as the sat across from the petite woman, leaning forward so she could rest her hands on the table. For once, though, Sharon allowed the blonde to take over their interview, content to sit back and glean what answers she needed from Chief Johnson’s questions. The other woman seemed to pick up on this and Sharon found she had her answers before Chief Johnson had hers.

By early afternoon, they had all the information they needed and were back in the dreaded car for the too-long drive back to LA. Chief Johnson made sure they were stocked up on water at the first gas station, both of them hoping they wouldn’t have to stop again for several miles.

Sharon was quiet from the start of the drive, sipping at her water with both arms loosely wrapped around her stomach. Chief Johnson noticed almost immediately, but decided to give the woman her privacy. She had expected much small talk on this trip, especially after seeing the Captain’s condition. 

When Sharon winced for at least the second time in ten minutes, Chief Johnson decided that enough was enough. She had seen the woman suffer for far too many days and if she wouldn’t tell Flynn, then she’d do something about it.

“Cap’n—Sharon, something’s definitely wrong.” She stopped, unsure of where to continue from that statement.

“Nothing’s wrong,” the woman murmured in response. “Just miscalculated.”

Confusion flickered across Chief’s Johnson’s face and she glanced at her as the realization sank in. “Jesus Christ!”

“My sentiments exactly,” Sharon managed to huff.

“Where’s the nearest hospital? Oh, god. Sharon, you’re kidding me.”

“No, back to LA. Mind making a detour to St. Joseph’s?” She shook her head slightly and leaned her head back, a low groan escaping her.

“That’s two hours away! There’s gotta be one closer.” She almost pulled the car over to continue arguing, but the look of pain on Sharon’s face kept her foot on the gas. 

“I’m fine, Chief. St. Joseph’s, please, and I’ll call Andy.”

“Don’t you dare give birth in my car,” Chief Johnson threatened, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. “That’s gotta be against your rules. Somewhere, right?”

Sharon managed a laugh as she tugged her phone from her purse. “No, it’s not, and I’m fine. They’re far enough apart that we have time. Just keep driving.”

“Jesus Christ. How could you miscalculate that? Don’t they have due dates and things like that?”

“Not when your baby decides to come two weeks early. It’s fine. There’s time.” She took another deep breath and looked over at the Chief as she dialed Andy’s number. The woman’s hands had a death grip on the steering wheel and Sharon swore she saw a look of panic in her eyes. “Just don’t get us into an accident.”

“Yeah, sure,” Chief Johnson mumbled, her head shaking slightly.

Sharon closed her eyes briefly and held the phone to her ear, her free hand still resting on her stomach. She counted the rings, betting on the fact that Andy would have his phone nearby. She wasn’t wrong.

“Sharon, everything okay?” His concerned voice picked up the phone after the second ring and she couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her features.

“I’m fine,” she answered, received that the words came out sounding almost normal. “We’re on our way back from Gardena PD. About an hour away from the precinct.” She could almost hear her lover’s sigh of relief. 

“How’d it go? Did you and the Chief get what you needed?” 

“Yes, we did. It was worth the trip.” Chief Johnson shot her a glare that Sharon managed to return. “How is the suspect’s mother coming along?” She knew if she told him too soon, he’d drive out to meet them and throw himself into a panic. Timing was everything, and certainly not something she had been great with so far.

“She just left. Wasn’t willing to talk and we couldn’t hold her for anything,” he sighed and she frowned, her fingers soothingly rubbing at her stomach. 

“Hopefully some of this info from Mrs. Humphrey will help, then,” she murmured, pulling the phone away so she could mute it just in time for another contraction. She missed Andy’s response, her groan overlapping it.

“Sharon? Hey, everything okay?”

She quickly took the mute off and licked at her lips. “Yeah, fine. Just giving your Chief better directions.”

“I know where I’m going,” Chief Johnson called and Sharon sent her a silent thank you. 

“I’m surprised both of you are still alive,” Andy teased her and she huffed quietly. “I’ll see you when you get here?”

“Of course. Just make sure you don’t get yourself wrapped up in anything time consuming, yeah?” 

“Sure, Sharon. I love you.”

“Love you too, Andy.”

She had barely hung up the phone and placed it in her lap before Chief Johnson was looking at her again, her expression accusatory. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

Sharon sighed and adjusted the chair so she could lean back a little. “I’ll call him when we’re closer and let him know. I thought you wanted him to focus on the case.”

Chief Johnson opened her mouth to respond but she said nothing and closed it. After a moment, she tried again. “Fine. We’ll be at St. Joseph’s in about forty-five minutes and it’ll take Andy at least ten minutes to get there.”

“I’ll call him when we’re five minutes away, then.” She raised an eyebrow briefly, clearly indicating that she wouldn’t argue the point. 

Just over an hour later, Sharon found herself in a hospital bed with Chief Johnson beside her. The blonde paced back and forth along the bedside, Sharon’s phone in her hands. Sharon would have sent her away, but the pacing was providing her with a distraction while they waited for Andy to arrive. 

“I swear to God, if he asks me one more time…” the Chief grumbled, glancing down at the captain’s phone. “It’s a good thing Provenza’s driving him.”

“Just tell him to—“

“Oh, they’re here,” she interrupted and Sharon let out a relieved breath.

“About time.” She shifted in the bed, rubbing both hands over the full swell of her stomach and sighing. She could feel how low her baby had settled and was relieved that her doctor had her confined to the bed until she gave birth—if she ever did. 

Two contractions later, Andy and Provenza reached her room. Andy was at her side in an instant, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he tangled their fingers together over her stomach. She smiled at him and stroked her thumb across his knuckles.

“You stubborn woman,” he murmured, a fond smile settling on his lips. “Are you going to take maternity leave yet?”

“I might still have a few more hours before I give birth. Think we can solve the case in that time?” she teased. “Contractions are only a few minutes apart, though.”

“No, you’re staying right here and I—“ He paused and glanced over at Chief Johnson and Provenza who were lingering near the door to her room. “With the Chief’s permission, am staying right here.”

“Guess you’ll be taking your paternity leave now, Lieutenant?” the Chief asked, glancing between both Sharon and Andy. He nodded and she smiled a little. “I’ll arrange it for you both. Consider it my gift, but I do still have a case to solve.”

She gestured for Provenza to walk out and started to follow him until Sharon’s voice called her back. “Thank you, Chief.”

“What was I gonna do, leave you in Gardena?”

“You considered it.” Sharon smirked until a contraction overwhelmed her and she cried out, her head falling back against the pillows.

The Chief and Provenza were gone by the time it passed and she looked over to Andy, a tired smile crossing her lips. He settled in a chair by her side and covered her hand with both of his, giving it a firm and reassuring squeeze. 

“How are you doing?” he asked softly, leaning against the edge of her bed so he could be closer to her.

“Considering I’ve been in labor for at least five hours…” She trailed off and her eyes closed briefly. “Everything hurts and I’m not ready to do this.” She licked her lips and he immediately handed her the cup of water off the side table. She sipped at it and handed it back, her hand trembling slightly. “It’s convenient that we forget just how much this hurts.”

“I’m sorry, Sharon…” He shifted in his chair and watched as another contraction ran through her, tightening her hand around his. 

Before it had passed completely, nurses and a doctor came into the room. Andy shifted closer to Sharon and watched as a nurse checked her vitals while the doctor settled at the end of the bed. He remembered being there when his eldest two children had been born, but that was decades ago and all he could remember was holding them for the first time. Sharon, it seemed, remembered a lot more. 

“Do you feel the urge to push yet?” Sharon’s doctor, Lucy, looked up and lightly patted the other’s leg. 

“I have for the past few contractions,” she admitted and the doctor shot her a look. 

“Looks like this baby’s ready then. Let’s get going!”

———

Within the hour, Sharon was cleaned and settled back in bed with her newborn in her arms. The infant was nestled in the crook of her arm and the older woman brushed at the dark fuzz on her head. She smiled, tired green eyes meeting wide blue ones. Andy leaned over them, one hand resting on Sharon’s shoulder and the other held firmly in the baby’s grasp. 

“She’s beautiful,” he whispered, watching as the infant clung to his index finger and cooed quietly. 

“She looks like her father,” she agreed, her voice filled with awe and exhaustion. 

She carefully adjusted her hold on her newborn, her head falling back against the pillows. Andy lightly massaged her shoulder and smiled. “I’m proud of you.” He kissed her forehead and his smile widened. “Why don’t I put her in the bassinet so you can get some sleep?”

“Because I like holding her,” she murmured in response, her eyes flicking from their baby over to him. “It’s a nice reminder that she’s here.”

“You’ll have the next year to do nothing but hold her.” He rubbed his hand down her arm and she finally sighed. “She’ll want to be fed when you wake up too, you know.”

She carefully handed their infant over to Andy, pausing to press a kiss to her forehead. “I love you, my sweet Annie.”

She watched as Andy kissed Annie’s forehead too and then lowered her into the bassinet, gently tucking the blankets around her before he returned to his seat and took Sharon’s hand. She smiled at him and he returned it. 

“I love you too,” she murmured and he could tell she was already fading off to sleep. 

“I love you, Sharon. More than you’ll ever know. And our precious Annie.” He leaned over to kiss her softly, his other hand lightly cupping her cheek. 

“Annie Flynn-Raydor,” she hummed. With a smile on her lips, she faded off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! I hope you all adore Annie Flynn-Raydor as much as I do. I may or may not continue this to watch as Annie grows older (maybe up to Rusty's entrance?). What do you guys think?


	6. Three Months Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annie Flynn-Raydor is now three months old and her parents are trying to adjust to their new lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr's madampresidentroslin is a great inspiration for a lot of the ideas in both this chapter and future ones. Thank you, darling, and I hope you enjoy!

The condo was quiet, the news playing quietly from the TV. Sharon’s glasses were abandoned on the table, but she was focused on her daughter in her arms and didn’t need them. She smiled at her daughter, brushing her cheek while the little girl tugged on her shirt. She glanced at the door and tried not to sigh—she knew she shouldn’t expect Andy home when he had a case, but she could still hope.

She shifted carefully and Annie whined softly before she went back to playing, her small hand clumsily reaching up for Sharon’s necklace. She smiled tiredly down at her daughter and allowed her head to lean back and move her necklace out of reach. The girl had done nothing but fuss and whine since Andy had left that morning and Sharon was eager for more than two consecutive minutes of silence. 

She heard the door click open and turned to see Andy shuffling in, his tie already loosened. He beamed at the sight of her and their daughter and stopped long enough to toe his shoes off before he crossed over and knelt beside him; Annie immediately tried to sit up but barely managed a wriggle. 

“There’s my baby girl!” Andy grinned and gently took her from Sharon, tucking her in his arms so he could kiss her forehead. “Were you a good girl today?” 

Annie laughed and tried to reach for Andy’s tie, but he flipped it over his shoulder and she squealed unhappily. Sharon huffed softly and stood up to swipe her glasses from the table. She slid them on and kissed Andy softly.

“That gives you a good idea of how she’s been all day. Sobbing every time she can’t have what draws her attention.” Despite her exhaustion, a small smile still tugged at her lips. Annie was their baby girl and she wouldn’t give her up for anything. 

“I hope you were able to get some things done.” His voice was soft and he glanced from Annie to Sharon.

“I did, somehow. A mother’s multitasking miracle.” She laughed a little and rubbed his arm. “Are you hungry? There’s some leftover soup.”

“Buzz got hamburgers while we wrapped up the case, so I’m fine.” He kissed her again before he settled into the couch with his daughter in his arms, sitting her up on his stomach a little. “Hi, Annie.”

She babbled at him and Sharon leaned over the back of the couch to watch them, reaching out her finger to tap the little girl’s nose. Annie’s eyes went crosseyed to follow it and then focused in on Sharon. She laughed and pressed a kiss to Andy’s neck.

“Why don’t you get out of that suit and come watch a movie with us before I feed Annie and she goes to sleep,” she suggested softly. 

He tilted his head back and smiled at her. “That sounds like a good idea.”

They carefully swapped Annie back to Sharon’s arms and she curled up in the corner of the couch with the blanket thrown over her feet. She could hear Andy shuffling in the bedroom while she adjusted her shirt so Annie could feed. The little girl whined and beat her fists against Sharon’s chest before she latched on and started suckling eagerly. 

She heard someone trying the locked front door and she sat up immediately, her arms tightly holding Annie to her. Annie squealed her complaint at the movement and tangled her hand in Sharon’s hair, barely drawing a wince from her mom. Someone tried the door again and then beat their fist against it. 

“Sharon, I know you’re in there!” Her eyes slid closed at her ex-husband’s voice and she held her daughter even tighter. The disruption in Annie’s feeding drew another angry complaint from the infant and she started crying, tears rolling down and dampening Sharon’s chest. “Sharon, come on!”

Andy came out of the bedroom with his robe tossed over his shoulders. He glanced between Sharon and the door, his gaze hardening. “I’ll get him to—“

“Andy, no. He’s drunk.” Her voice came out firmer than she thought it would and she adjusted her hold on Annie, her hand soothingly rubbing her back. The little girl refused to stop crying to continue her feeding as long as Sharon was standing.  “What do you suggest we do?” 

“We’ll see what he wants,” she told him, a slight nod punctuating her words. 

Andy looked pointedly between their crying daughter and Sharon, his concern written across his features. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said simply and he shook his head. 

“He’s stubborn, especially when he’s drunk. It’s not like he’s staying the night, Andy.” With a relenting sigh, she returned to the couch and Annie immediately started suckling again, falling silent. “We’ll see what he wants and send him on his way.” Her voice was softer and she turned her head in time to see Andy nod. 

She kept a protective hold on her daughter as Andy unlocked the door and pulled it open to reveal a red-faced Jack Raydor. Both men stared at each other for several moments, a silent understanding passing between them.

“Andrew Flynn,” Jack finally said and he turned his gaze to look further into the room. “Where’s my wife?”

“Ex-wife,” Sharon corrected before Andy could say anything and Jack’s gaze moved to her. She knew from his position that he couldn’t see Annie yet and she was grateful the infant was quiet.

Jack moved past Andy to walk toward her and Sharon kept her gaze on his face. She could see the alcohol lagging his steps and shook her head a little. Nothing, it seemed, could get that man sober. She saw Andy follow him into the room, but she focused on Jack and saw the exact moment he saw the baby. 

“I know we don’t have any grandkids,” he grumbled, eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to the couch. “So why the hell am I…” he trailed off and Sharon carefully adjusted her shirt.

“What do you want, Jack?” She kept her voice even, wary of disturbing Annie and wishing she had been able to put her daughter to sleep before this happened. 

“I wanna talk. Haven’t seen you since court.” He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. 

She glanced back at Andy and saw him scowl over Jack’s shoulder, body tensed and ready to do whatever needed to get Jack out. Sharon shook her head a little and absently brushed her finger through Annie’s dark hair. 

She didn’t respond for several moments. “You don’t need to make social calls, and you definitely don’t need to make them drunk. What do you want?”

“C’mon, Sharon. Don’t be so cold.” 

A glare crossed over Sharon’s features and lingered in her eyes as she resisted the urge to stand up before Jack. Annie’s weight in her arms kept her on the couch, but she saw Andy take a step closer to him. 

“I just need a place to stay for the night. I’ve got a job lined up tomorrow and I’ll be out of your hair,” he explained, extending his hands almost pleadingly toward her.

“Get a hotel,” Andy told him and Sharon was inclined to agree.

Jack ignored him. “Just a night, honey. The couch’ll be fine and I’ll be out of here tomorrow, I promise.” 

“No,” she told him. “You can’t just drop in whenever you want and ask to stay. There’s a good hotel down the street.” 

“You wouldn’t really do that to me, would you?” Jack stepped closer to her and Sharon glanced down at Annie for the briefest of moments. The infant was still oblivious, nursing with her tiny fingers tangled in Sharon’s shirt. “What would one night hurt?”

“You’re drunk and you’re not staying the night. I’m only going to ask you once to leave, and remember that you are in the presence of two LAPD detectives.” Her voice was still just as calm as it had been, but her warning was reflected in her expression. 

“Is that a threat?” Jack stared at her and then glanced back at Andy.

“You’re not staying the night. Will you please leave?” Her gaze was torn away from Jack as Annie finally finished feeding and whined softly, tugging at Sharon’s shirt. She remained focused on her daughter as she adjusted her shirt and brushed her dark hair back. Finally, she returned her gaze to her ex-husband and let out a controlled breath.

“You were a lot more loving when Emily was born,” he commented, but he took a step toward the door. Andy moved out of his way.

“You were a lot less drunk,” she countered easily.

Jack watched her for another moment before he turned and left, the door shutting firmly behind him. Andy immediately followed to lock the door and Sharon stood up, pressing a firm kiss to Annie’s forehead. 

“Sharon—“ Andy tried, but she shook her head and didn’t look up at him.

“He’s gone, it’s fine. I’m going to put her to bed and try to sleep myself.” Annie fussed softly and Sharon cooed down at her as she stared down the hallway to the baby’s bedroom. She paused by Andy’s side and looked up at him, smiling a little when he kissed her softly.

“Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work tomorrow? You still have another few weeks.” He reached out and rubbed their daughter’s chubby arm, a small smile crossing his own lips.

“I miss it,” she admitted. “I adore being home with her, but I miss it,” she admitted.

“Let’s go to bed then.” He kissed Annie’s forehead and then Sharon’s lips, his smile widening. “I’ll put her to bed so you can change.”

He gently took their daughter from Sharon’s arms and watched as she continued into the bedroom. He moved into Annie’s bedroom and lowered her into the crib, leaning against it to watch the girl wriggle around before falling still. She looked up at him, green eyes blinking slowly.

“Goodnight, baby girl,” he cooed to her. Annie babbled back softly and waved her arms aimlessly; he could see her growing tired already.

He made his way back to his own bedroom and wasn’t surprised to see Sharon already passed out beneath the covers. He tossed his robe aside and slid in behind her, his arm lightly settling around her waist. She murmured softly and he kissed her shoulder before he settled down and fell asleep.

Both Major Crimes and Internal Affairs were oddly quiet the next few days, for which Andy was grateful. They left Annie at daycare early in the morning and Sharon was quiet the rest of the ride to work; he wanted to check on her, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. The team finally caught a case and he didn’t have a chance to check on her, but he hoped it was a simple open and shut case so he could be with his family at home. 

“Flynn.” Andy shook his head and looked up from Mike’s computer, his eyes flicking to the clock on the wall before he turned to face his partner.

“What?” he asked, his head shaking a little at the scowl on Provenza’s face.

Provenza said nothing, but nodded his head toward the entrance of the murder room. His eyebrow arched up and Andy couldn’t help but roll his eyes. No matter how many times he told the older lieutenant that he was happy with Sharon, Provenza insisted on pointing out every remotely attractive woman under 40. It was either that or their victim’s sister had finally arrived. 

Andy turned in his chair to where Provenza was gesturing, amazed when he saw Sharon standing there with a bundled-up Annie in her arms. She smiled, almost a little shyly, and took a few steps into the room. He immediately stood up and crossed over to her, his hand resting on their daughter’s back.

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly. “We should be done with this case soon, but I thought you still had another few hours today.”

“I do,” she answered, a short laugh falling from her pink lips. “I, um…” She paused and looked down at Annie; the three month old infant babbled softly and laughed. 

“You missed her, didn’t you?” He smiled at his little family and kissed Annie’s head.

“I couldn’t focus, it was ridiculous. I talked to the Commander and decided I’d take the last bit of leave, then try coming back part time.” She smiled at Annie and then warily glanced around the murder room. “You have a case and I don’t want to distract you too long.”

“It’s fine, Sharon. Are you headed home?” He rested his hand on her shoulder and Annie tried to lunge for his tie.

“If you’ll be done soon, I don’t mind waiting. Then I don’t have to come back for you.” Her mirth reflected briefly behind her glasses, but it was replaced by her sheer exhaustion a moment later.

“I can get a ride from Mike or even Provenza,” he offered.

She shook her head. “Really, it’s fine,” she insisted.

“Then sit at my desk. Do you need anything.” He led her further into the murder room and she shook her head as she settled into his chair, leaning back with Annie settled comfortably against her chest. “I lo-“

“Lieutenant Flynn!” He turned around at his name again as Chief Johnson hurried in with a swirl of pink flowers. “Samantha is on her way up. Interview One ready?”

“Yes, Chief,” he told her, shooting a brief smirk at Sharon.

“Good. Oh, Cap’n Raydor.” Chief Johnson’s expression fell a little as she regarded the woman from FID, her eyes lingering on the infant in her arms. “What can I do for you?”

Sharon shook her head, aware that everyone was looking at her now. “I’m here off duty,” she explained quickly. “I won’t be a bother.”

“Oh. Well, then.” Chief Johnson seemed at a loss for words and shook her head a little. “Anyway, Lieutenant. Interview One?”

Sharon watched as the Major Crimes team resumed their case. Finally sitting still after rushing around IA all day allowed her exhaustion to settle into her bones. She still smiled and kept Annie occupied, relieved that the infant was behaving. She had seemed too relieved when Sharon had picked her up and the woman felt guilty for leaving her behind. 

Provenza watched from Electronics, occasionally glancing away from the interview and out the window. He was surprised to see how relaxed Raydor looked with her daughter in her arms. This wasn’t the Ice Queen or the Wicked Witch. This was just a woman—a mother—and someone that Flynn cared deeply for. The lieutenant’s scowl deepened and was still there when Flynn finally concluded the interview and left their murderer with the prosecutor to sign the deal.

“What?” Andy asked immediately, his eyes narrowing at his partner as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What is it?”

“Your girlfriend,” Provenza grumbled in response, “and your daughter.”

“What did you do?” He sighed and his arms tightened a little.

“I didn’t do anything. I was in Electronics the whole time,” Provenza immediately defended and Andy shook his head. “Whatever, go home.”

“If it means I can finally get away from you, I’ll go happily.” He nudged Provenza out of the way as he walked toward Sharon at his desk. 

She almost looked asleep from his perspective, but Annie was still babbling away. He was surprised to see Chief Johnson standing not far away, a small smile on her lips. Sharon tilted her head and looked up at the other woman, her arm tightening a little around Annie.

“She’s quite a talker,” Chief Johnson commented and Andy watched as Sharon’s shoulders shook a little with her laughter.

“She never shuts up,” the older woman admitted, shifting to kiss Annie’s cheek. “She’s a storyteller.”

“She gets that from Andy, I bet.”

He grinned as he watched them, convinced that it was the first civil conversation the women had ever had. His grinned widened as Sharon yawned and Chief Johnson excused herself to her office, allowing him to approach and lightly rub the new mother’s back.

“Why don’t we head home?” he asked softly, bending to press a kiss to her hair. They tried to keep their relationship out of the office, but she was here off duty and he couldn’t help it.

“You’re all done?” She looked up at him, an almost pleading smile on her lips.

“Prosecutor is signing the deal now, so I’m all yours.” He helped her up and grabbed the baby bag off the ground. “Want me to carry her? I’m sure your arms are numb by now.”

She laughed a little and handed Annie to him before she took the baby bag out of his hand and slung it over her shoulder by her purse. She glanced around the surprisingly empty murder room before she kissed him softly.

“Let’s head home,” she murmured.

Annie loudly cooed her agreement from Andy’s arm.


	7. 20 Months Old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter of a chapter, but I really wanted to get this updated for you guys!
> 
> I also want to make something clear just in case. After Sharon and Jack's divorce, she kept her name as Raydor. Considering she spent some four decades of her life as a Raydor and only one or two as an O'Dwyer, she feels more of a connection to that name than her maiden name. Especially as a professional woman (everyone knows her as Captain Raydor and Captain O'Dwyer would cause needless confusion). The reason Annie is a Flynn-Raydor is because she is Andy and Sharon's daughter, so she shares their names when they don't share his. (See end of work for the continuation.)

Sharon adjusted the stack of paperwork in her arm and rolled her shoulder to make sure her purse didn’t slide down as she watched the numbers on the elevator tick down to the ninth floor. A sigh slipped from her parted lips as she glanced at the stack, her head shaking a little. She hated to bring paperwork home, but she knew it was the only chance she’d get to see Andy or Annie while this investigation was going on.

With another sigh, she watched the doors slide open and walked down to the murder room. The empty white board told her all she needed to know as she walked into the room, surprised to be greeted bye a shout of, “Mama!”

“Annie?” She turned to see her daughter jumping in place, drowning in Chief Johnson’s pink trench coat. Sharon’s eyebrow arched up and Annie ran toward her, arms and sleeves flapping everywhere.

“Mama! Mama! I Brenda!” Annie chanted, giggling and continuing to wave her arms until Sharon set aside her paperwork and picked her up. Then the arms wrapped around Sharon’s neck while the toddler placed a sloppy kiss on her mom’s cheek.

“How did you get into that, huh?” Sharon worried her daughter was playing in the Chief’s office—that would go well with Chief Johnson.

“She got cold.” The Chief’s voice caught Sharon’s attention and the woman couldn’t help but smile as she looked up. “Lieutenant Flynn was in an interview and she likes pink, so…” She shrugged and rested her hands on her hips.

“Oh,” was all Sharon managed for a moment, her hand rubbing Annie’s back. “Thank you. She should have a jacket in her bag….”

“You’ll have to talk to Flynn about that.”

Sharon stared at the Chief for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Even after a year, she still wasn’t sure where exactly she stood with Andy’s team. In a professional setting, she knew they still didn’t approve of her recent investigations. But a personal setting—most of the team had been at Annie’s first birthday.

“Thank you,” Sharon repeated after neither said anything for a moment. Chief Johnson nodded and turned toward her office. “You can take it back; I’ll find her jacket.” As she spoke, she helped her daughter out of the coat and offered it to the Chief.

“Oh, sure.” Chief Johnson took the trench coat back and disappeared into her office just as Andy and Provenza came around the corner.

“Sharon, hey!” Andy smiled widely and immediately crossed the room to kiss her cheek and them Annie’s head. “How are my girls?”

“Annie was cold and I’m ready to go home,” Sharon admitted, holding Annie closer when she shivered.

“Sure, let me just grab my coat.” He turned toward his desk but stopped and turned back. “And I, um, misplaced Annie’s bag today…”

“Chief Johnson said as much. Annie was in her trench coat.” Sharon shook her head and accepted Andy’s jacket to wrap around their daughter as she started for the door, Andy following behind her.

* * *

 

Annie fell asleep not long after they got home, curled up in her crib with her stuffed dalmatian hugged close. Sharon settled on the couch with her head in Andy’s lap, his fingers gently running through her hair as they watched the news. He switched the channel after the anchor started recounting the case the team had just finished and Sharon let her eyes fall closed, trying not to think about the paperwork she still had waiting for her across the room.

“I’ve been thinking…” Andy’s voice was quiet and hesitant, concerning Sharon enough that she rolled onto her back to look up at him. He dropped his hand from her hair and kept his gaze on the television, his other hand on the remote. “I’ve been thinking for a while actually…”

“About?” she finally prompted when he said nothing else.

“Us.”

Sharon sat up to look at her significant other—boyfriend didn’t feel like the right word for them after so long together with a baby between them—concern furrowing her brow and turning her mouth down in a slight frown. “Us?”

“Us,” he repeated before fairly drawing his gaze to her. “No, not like that. God, no. I love you.” He offered her a small smile and turned so he could take her hand in his, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles. “I know we never talked about it before because our relationship wasn’t… we never thought about it, and then Annie happened….”

“Andy…” Her brow remained furrowed and she shifted her hand in his, still concerned about where his thoughts were.

“I want to marry you, Sharon. I want you to be my wife and… and…” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Really, all that would change is the legality. We live together and we have a child… All that would change is a ring and a name, if you wanted…”

“Marriage?” She stared at him, her eyes narrowing in the dim lighting of the room.

“Yeah… I even looked through the LAPD regulations to make sure there wasn’t anything against it. We’re in different divisions and it’s okay. If you wanted to, that is…” He trailed off again and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes as he watched her.

“You want to marry me? Andy…” Her thoughts were a jumble and she couldn’t sort through them fast enough, especially as long as Andy sat there staring at her.

“I love you, Sharon. If it’s not something you want, I understand. It’s just something I was thinking about.” He let out a breath, his gaze remaining on her.

“No, you don’t understand,” she finally managed. “Chief Johnson is leaving… and Pope and Taylor want me to be her replacement.”

Andy sat in stunned silence for several moments, their hands still intertwined between them. Finally, he blinked and spoke. “You’re taking over the team?”

“No one is supposed to know and I haven’t made a decision yet… Annie’s so young and I don’t… I don’t know. But marriage just… complicates everything further.”

“Yeah… I guess it does,” he sighed, withdrawing his hand from hers.

A hurt expression crossed Sharon’s face, but she hid it quickly and tangled her own fingers together in her lap. “Andy…” she started, but she wasn’t sure what else to say. “Let this pan out first… Let’s see what happens and then we’ll talk. I-I’m not saying no, I’m just saying to let me think about it.”

He nodded slowly and glanced at the flickering television. “Okay,” he agreed softly, but she could tell it wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for.

“I’m sorry. I love you, Andy, I do. Just being married and your immediate superior could cause… problems.”

“You’re good at being impartial,” he told her.

“I know, but Taylor doesn’t know that.” She shook her head a little and took his hand back in both of hers. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He looked at her again and then the noticeable stack of paperwork she had brought home. “You might want to get started before it gets too late.”

She shook her head and slipped the remote from his hand to turn the television off. “I’ll do it tomorrow. I want to fall asleep next to you right now.” She stood up as she spoke and gently tugged on his hand until he followed. “Under any other circumstances, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.”

“Really?”

“I would. I’d love to marry you, honey. I just don’t want to jeopardize our careers and Annie by doing so when we’re… happy now.” Her hesitation caused Andy to frown and he squeezed her hand.

“We’re happy,” he reassured her as he followed her to the bedroom.She responded with a smile and slipped beneath the blankets. He settled behind her and pulled her against his chest after she shut off the light, her body slowly relaxing against his.

Racing thoughts kept him awake but still for a while, and he felt Sharon slip from his arm after a bit. He remained quiet as he watched her silhouette leave the room; a few moments later, he heard the sounds of her shuffling through the paperwork. He rolled onto his back and draped his arms over his face to block out the moonlight filtering through the curtains. Eventually he drifted off, still alone in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Sharon agrees to marry Andy, she would take his last name and Annie would become Annie Flynn, instead of Sharon Raydor and Annie Flynn-Raydor. Make sense? Good.


	8. 2 Years Old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are definitely ignoring canon right now, just so you're aware.

Sharon sighed heavily as she dropped a box onto her new desk. The room felt odd without Chief Johnson. It wasn’t her office and she felt like she was intruding, despite the nameplate on the door. With another sigh, she pushed the box and dropped into the chair. It squeaked and she made a mental reminder to swap it for her chair upstairs. 

She glanced out her windows, the blinds angled in a way that she could see out but it would be difficult for someone to see in. She was grateful, especially with the headache beginning to pound behind her eyes. Silently, she watched as Buzz updated the murder board. From the way Provenza and Andy moved, she could tell they were arguing over something and she was glad to be alone. 

Andy’s words were still echoing in her head, worsening the headache she had been fighting since the day began. She knew things were tense between them; things hadn’t been normal since Andy proposed, no matter how hard they acted like they were normal. She wished they could sit and talk about things to ease the tension, but nothing seemed to help. His outburst outside the morgue only confirmed for her just how upset he still was with her. 

Briefly, she lowered her head to rest against the desk. She just had to make it through this day to see Annie again. That was her immediate goal to get her through the day. With that thought in her head, she sat up and dug through her box until she found the two photos she kept on her desk. She set the first up, one of her with Ricky and Emily just before they all fled the nest. The second went right next to it, a photo from the hospital a few hours after Annie was born. 

She stroked Annie’s cheek in the picture and then moved her hand to rub at her temples, sparing another glance at her new team. She shook her head and took a deep breath, finally pushing herself out of the chair. They had work to do and the sooner it got done, the sooner she could pick her daughter up from daycare. 

She escaped from the precinct as soon as she could, knowing she’d have an early morning and not caring. She let before Andy and he still wasn’t home by the time she picked up Annie and made it home. Ignoring her disappointment, she settled her daughter in her high chair with a snack and started on dinner.

She heard Andy come home an hour later, but he went straight to the bedroom without a word. After checking on Annie in her chair, she followed him. He was halfway undressed when she stepped into their room, her arms immediately crossing over her chest.

“Are you not talking to me now?” Her voice was calm as she stared at him, waiting for him to turn around or otherwise acknowledge her. 

He finally turned around after tossing his clothes into the hamper and pulling clean ones on. “What are you talking about?” he grunted.

“What am I- You explode on me, at work of all places, and then disregard me the rest of the day. And that’s not even including the past four months!” She tried to keep her voice under control for the sake of Annie and their neighbors, but four months of pent up frustration escaped anyway. 

“Sharon, it was a long day. I’d really just like to see Annie, find something to eat, and go to bed. Especially since we have to get up early for work.” He pushed past her, but she quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

“No, Andy. It’s been four months of this ridiculous behavior. Four long months. Four months where we haven’t slept together, where you haven’t asked how I’m handling the new position. And then I’m told that all of our problems are because of me.” She kept hold of his arm, her hold firm enough to stop him from moving. “We’re talking about this now, Andy.”

He sighed and seemed to deflate in front of her, but he pulled his arm back. She let him go. Before he could say anything, Annie started calling for them from the kitchen. “Mama! Daddy! Daddy home!”

Sharon closed her eyes briefly and let out a slow breath. “She already ate dinner,” she began softly, “so say goodnight and we can put her to bed. Then,” she stressed the last word and gave him a pointed look, “we’re going to have this discussion.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He looked at her for a moment before he turned and quietly walked into the kitchen.

Sharon followed, but lingered back while he picked up Annie and cuddled her close. She watched their daddy’s girl as she wiggled in Andy’s arms, wiggling until he set her down and followed her back to her room. She continued lingering back until Annie was settled in bed and then leaned in to say her own goodnight. Only when she was sure she was asleep did she finally return to the kitchen. 

She divided dinner onto two plates and reheated it before sitting across the table from Andy. She sipped at her wine, silent while they ate. “I’m sorry,” he finally sighed.

“For what exactly?” She nudged her empty wine glass and plate away from her, slowly looking from the table up at him.

“Everything. The list is too long, so will you accept a blanket apology?” He offered a small smile and leaned forward against the table.

“I guess,” she sighed. “Andy, I know it hurt when I said I wasn’t ready to marry you. I’m sorry, but I think today proved why it isn’t a good idea.”

“Sharon…” He shifted in his seat and shook his head, his gaze focused on her.

“No. What happened today was inappropriate on every level. You shouldn’t act like that toward anyone. A friend, a girlfriend, a wife, even your boss. And I know it only happened because things aren’t okay between us right now.”

“You’re right, honey. You’re right and I’m sorry.” He reached across the table and took her hand. She started to pull it back, but he held on a little tighter. “I was out of line today and I’m sorry. But I did a lot of thinking and I went to a meeting and I realized you are right.” 

“I’m right?” she repeated, her brow furrowing briefly in surprise. 

“Yeah, you are. Maybe it is a good idea to let things settle down before we discuss marriage again.” He stroked his thumb along her hand and sighed. 

“That’s all I ask, Andy. I want to marry you. I do. I would love it if Annie and I shared your last name. But we have to consider work too because neither of us are retiring anytime soon.” She squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Sharon. And so you know, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if it’s just like we are. I’m happy. I love you.” He smiled a little and continued stroking her hand.

“I’m happy too. I’m happy with you and with Annie and how things are. I just want things to be normal with us again.” She sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. 

“And they will. Things will be okay. Everyone at work will come around and things will get easier. I promise.” He went quiet for a few moments, just looking at her. “Let’s go to bed. We have an early morning and we have to get Annie to daycare.”

She nodded after a moment and stood up, gathering their dishes. “We’re okay?”

“We’re okay, Sharon.” 

She stepped around the table and shifted the plates so she could lean up and kiss him softly. She smiled slightly as she pulled back, turning to put all of the dishes into the dishwasher. He packed away the leftovers and followed her into the bedroom, relieved that things already seemed to be relaxing between them.


End file.
